NbS in Vietnam
Canal and lake that is one source area for flooding onto campus
The vision for this case study was a water sensitive Can Tho University (CTU) campus that is well-connected to wider infrastructure development in the city and acts as an incubator of innovation for the Mekong Delta.
Can Tho is Viet Nam’s fourth largest city, and has historically been vulnerable to flooding from Mekong overflow, high tides and intense rainfall. Recent dyke construction has changed flood patterns, but CTU's main campus still sits at a low point within a polder, and remains exposed to pluvial flooding and canal overflows.
Campus II, an 87-hectare site with modern buildings and one of the few large open green spaces in central Can Tho, is central to CTU’s plan to become a green, climate-resilient university. RUCaS worked with CTU on options to NbS into this transformation.
What the case study explored
The Can Tho case study focused on an area of open space and a lake within Campus II, proposing the creation of a water sensitive park that combines terraced gardens, a food forest, a communal outdoor kitchen and composting systems with floodplain restoration and wetland planting. Vegetated swales and a swamp forest wetland were designed to channel and temporarily store floodwaters, enhance ecological diversity and improve water quality while creating shaded, accessible public space for students, staff and nearby communities.
This site-scale concept was developed as a demonstration of how NbS can help manage flooding, address urban heat and support circular economy principles on campus.
What happened next
NbS campus master plan and city linkages
Building on the case study, CTU prepared a campus-wide NbS master plan in collabration with RUCaS that integrates multiple NbS typologies – including rain gardens, bioswales and retention ponds – into Campus II and explores opportunities beyond the campus. Faculties across the university were consulted to map and prioritise NbS zones aligned with CTU’s climate resilience goals and teaching programs. The master plan was updated in December 2025 and also informs potential NbS applications elsewhere in Can Tho City.
Bioswale design
A bioswale was designed for the northwest of the campus to collect stormwater from the main road and convey it to an existing pond, reducing pluvial flooding and improving water quality. The design, developed with local architects 1+1>2, incorporates vegetated filtration, overflow structures and inclusive features like safe paths, lighting and seating.
IoT environmental monitoring
To strengthen the evidence base, RUCaS with CTU installed low-cost environmental monitoring sensors on campus. Air sensors measure particulate matter, humidity and temperature, while water sensors located close to the proposed site for the bioswale track turbidity, depth and electrical conductivity in the pond and adjoining canal. Staff from CTU and regional partners were trained to use the data for NbS design and management. The data, once analysed, has the potential to be used in teaching, campus management and collaboration with local authorities on urban flood and heat management.
Can Tho University overall strategy
What does a Water Sensitive City look like?
The CRCWSC has produced research, guidelines and
tools related to the following topics:
Integrated Urban Flood
Management
Climate change
mitigation
Community
engagement
Economics and
business case